


Knife To Meet You

by snarkstark



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: 5 Minute Writing Challenge, Crush at First Sight, First Meetings, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Getting to Know Each Other, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-17
Updated: 2017-02-17
Packaged: 2018-09-25 00:56:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9795137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snarkstark/pseuds/snarkstark
Summary: Unfortunately, Winter Soldier instincts decided to completely fuck him over, and on seeing the unexpected and unfamiliar face, Bucky snatched up a kitchen knife and tackled the guy, blade pressed against his throat."Knife to meet you?"





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this really quickly, but I kinda wanna write another chapter now! :)

Contrary to popular belief, Bucky wasn't an idiot. He knew Natasha and maybe even Steve didn't fully trust him yet (though the red-head hid it well). It was written in the way Steve watched him fidget in his seat a little too closely, or the way Natasha's fingers twitched ever so slightly. 

Good. He didn't trust himself either. 

After what felt like a year's worth of therapy sessions, he was allowed to the Avengers Tower. Ignoring the fact that he felt like a fucking imposter - what the Hell was a villain like him doing in the home of the Earth's mightiest heroes? - he managed to make it to the kitchen without any incident. There were only three other people in the room; Steve, of course, who was still hovering over him like he might spontaneously combust at any second, Natasha, and a man called Bruce, who was very quiet and offered a small introduction. He didn't have a clue where Sam had disappeared off to but he was fucking grateful for it. He was the one person who didn't seem at all inclined to cut him any slack (and Bucky secretly admired him for it). 

"Where are the others?" He asked curiously, ignoring the urge to flinch when he asked the question. Good, he was getting better at this whole 'speaking with a free will' bullshit.   
"Well, they're -"  
"We're not letting you anywhere near the others yet." Natasha over-rid whatever softened up truth Steve was about to disclose. "They're brilliant, obviously, but very loud and grating. Baby steps, Barnes." She reminded him with a small smile. He returned with a small nod of gratitude and took another sip of water. Bucky was aware that Tony Stark was in the building somewhere, although he barely even knew what the man looked like, and the thought was making his stomach twist with anxiety and guilt. How could he be sitting in the man's own Tower?

As he was pondering this, a crash came from the hallway followed by a loud curse. Steve immediately looked panicked, but it was clearly too late. A gorgeous brunette stumbled in and - woah, when was the last time Bucky had catalogued looks? - yawned, empty mug in hand. 

Unfortunately, Winter Soldier instincts decided to completely fuck him over, and on seeing the unexpected and unfamiliar face, Bucky snatched up a kitchen knife and tackled the guy, blade pressed against his throat. 

He almost gasped in surprise when the man made a noise of complaint, then simply blinked tiredly and sighed. "Fuck, sorry Steve." He banged his head back against the tiles. "I've been awake too long, I forgot." He excused, wriggling under Bucky's hold. He turned his gaze back to the assassin with a lazy smirk. "Knife to meet you?" He offered, causing a collective groan to erupt around the room. The reply rolled off his tongue before he could process it, for the first time starting to feel like the old Bucky.   
"Not as knife as it's gonna get, cutie." He teased, flashing him an apologetic smile and handing the knife over to Steve who looked a hundred different levels of relieved. The warm-eyed flirter laughed delightedly at having someone entertain his antics.   
"I like him, Steve. He can stay in my Tower."  
"You already said he could, Shellhead." His best friend pointed out with a wide smile.   
"Well, now he's got my personal approval sticker, okay? Now I need some fucking coffee before I collapse."

Quelling the sudden urge to scoop up the man and go tuck him into bed, Bucky watched him make himself a hot drink and leave, murmuring equations under his breath. "Who was that?" He breathed once he was out of earshot, heart rate a little higher than it needed to be.  
"Huh? That was Tony. He's a character." Steve replied fondly, "I'm really proud of you, Buck. You're handling all this better than we predicted." Deciding not to be offended that threatening someone with a knife was 'better than predicted', he concentrated on the first part, which was currently blowing his mind. He just flirted with Tony Stark. Who didn't seem at all fazed by the fact he killed his parents, 

"Stevie does he... Know?" The Captain's eyes filled with a slight pain.   
"Yeah. Wanted your head for about one night. In the morning he came to find me and apologise. Once his temper lowered a little bit he was able to realise that none of it was your fault. He opened his home and services to finding you. Who'd you think paid for all the therapy sessions, huh?"

So basically, Bucky was completely indebted to the most beautiful, unattainable stranger he'd ever met. 

Fucking perfect.


	2. Subtlety Is My Greatest Strength

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Long story short, Tony was the kindest person Bucky had ever met, and more like a drug than any alcohol he had ever tasted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you SO much for all the wonderful comments that made me write this! I hope you like it! :)

Bucky sighed to himself, eyes tracking the moves of the genius's hips while he made his way through the workshop, weaving through the different desks, machines and assorted piles of crap. "Here it is!" Tony exclaimed, holding the tool up in triumph. That startled him out of his creep session and he remembered that his friend was actually finding a tool instead of giving the soldier time to drool over him. 

"Uh, yay?" He made a concerted effort to look celebratory, which clearly fails when Tony rolls his eyes.  
"At least try to be excited. You know how much perving out over your arm means to me."  
"Yeah, you're not a subtle fella, Tony."  
"What?" The other placed a hand on his chest, wearing a 'who, me?' expression, "I'll have you know that subtlety is my greatest strength and no-one else has ever dared insinuate otherwise."

Grinning and rolling his eyes, Bucky marvelled at how far they'd come in only three weeks. From the second Tony sauntered out of that kitchen, all Barnes could think of was his want. Want, want, want. And he'd only seen the guy for a few minutes. His life would have been immeasurably easy if he'd simply gotten over it and realised that actually, Tony was a bit of a dick. (Even if his own dick would like to disagree). 

But nothing was ever easy for Bucky, was it? So he had to harbour a borderline obsession with the man, seeking sanctuary in the workshop when everything was being just too much. He usually ended up falling asleep on Tony's surprisingly comfortable couch, watching the beautiful genius in his element. His crush hadn't faded in the slightest, though to be fair, the recovering man had been much busier trying to listen to what his therapist said and catching up on all the crap he hadn't been able to experience as the Winter Soldier. Still, anytime he could possibly squeeze it in, he was wherever Tony was. 

Not only that, the man had made it his personal mission to make Bucky feel as comfortable as possible. He turned up at the gym and talked the ex-soldier through all the fancy new equipment. Then, he turned up on his floor and started pulling up all these designs without asking if he could come in, insisting that it wouldn't feel like home until they designed it just for him. Barely a few days later, he stumbled into the kitchen and upon spotting Bucky pulled out some slightly crumpled baseball tickets out of his pocket. "You gonna come?" The grey-eyed man asked hopefully with a sly smirk, leaning down to bring them a little closer. Tony was too sleepy to react very much, meaning he could get away with his blatant, well, crush. 

"Huh, me?" He asked, surprised, before shaking his head reluctantly. "I wish, man. I'm too busy." Tony paused to stifle a yawn, letting himself fall forward and use Bucky's chest as a pillow. "Stupid work, stupid R&D, stupid company. Anyway, I assumed you were gonna take Steve." He paused to scoff, "A dodgers fan... In my fucking house." Barnes watched his sleep softened eyes and tired mumbling with adoring ones. "Oh, and your boobs are almost as soft as Steve's." He remarked, causing Bucky to blush for once in his life.  
"Tony, these are pectorals." He laughed, allowing himself to ruffle the genius's already sleep-mussed hair.  
"You say potato, I say po-tah-to." Was the only answer he got before he was left to suddenly feel extremely cold and Tony-less. "See ya, Buck." The man picked up his coffee and stumbled back out, no doubt going to back to his work. 

Long story short, Tony was the kindest person Bucky had ever met, and more like a drug than any alcohol he had ever tasted. 

He must have spaced out again, thinking about (you guessed it) Tony. The man himself was still chattering away, admiring some new element of Bucky's arm that he was improving. "Jesus Stark, d'you just want this whole arm up your ass, you technophile?" He teased. This elicited a laugh out of the other, who was already used to Bucky's dirty humour.  
"Depends. Do I get all the... attachments?" He winked and looked James up and down deliberately. The soldier knew Tony would flirt with anything that moved, but it still made him feel a jolt of warmth near his heart and somewhere else, too.  
"If you want 'em, Stark." 

Erupting into laughter again, Tony closed the hatch on his arm and sat back, admiring it. "You wanna take a picture?" He drawled. It endlessly surprised him how much he was able to act like himself around Tony.  
"Oh, baby, I've already got them. You're my phone background."  
"Me, or the arm?" Bucky ignores the way the billionaire starts obnoxiously humming 'the best of both worlds' in response to his question and throws a spanner for Dum-E to fetch instead. 

They spend maybe an hour more dicking around until Tony is called away for business - again - so Bucky meanders back upstairs and watches cartoons until Steve invites him to spar. It gets him to stop pining, wait, fuck, he was totally not pining! Just... daydreaming. About Tony. That's all. Gets him to stop daydreaming about Tony. He catches the genius later when he's sweaty and exhausted and most likely hopelessly unattractive, but Stark didn't seem to care in the slightest, just squirmed his way onto the couch next to him and steals some of Bucky's take-out. He's wearing one of his personal favourite looks, the debauched businessman, but he'd like it much more without the stressed expression on his friend's face and the bags under his eyes. So he allows himself a sneaky moment to tuck Tony a little closer, one arm around his shoulders, letting him fall asleep to the faint noise of the film Bucky was half-watching.

Fuck, he's beautiful. 

It wasn't until a whole month more of pining and staring and whining to Steve that things finally came to a head. Bucky was on the couch again, pretending to read a newspaper and admiring Tony's ass. With a slightly frustrated sigh, the dark-haired man spun around and smirked. "Listen, Bucky bear," God Bucky hated that nickname, "You either need to stop looking at me like that or get over here and kiss me because this is getting distracting." Bucky was on the other side of the room in a heartbeat, touching and talking and tasting. It was better than he'd ever imagined. 

He didn't even dream that Tony would want him as anything more than a one-night stand, which he had already accepted. Until, of course. the genius nearly broke down his door, exclaimed that he'd escaped from his work and they were going on their first date right that minute.

"Subtlety is my greatest strength," Bucky repeated thoughtfully, his smirk giving him away. 

"Shut up, you, or I'll leave your ass behind." 

"Oh, so romantic." Bucky pretended to swoon. 

"You're hopeless, I give up. I don't know how to impress you these days." Tony mock sighed while the ex-soldier slid their hands together. 

"Don't sweat it, doll, I think you're doin' just fine."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I adore knowing what you guys think! Please donate a comment below, it will help the charity that is my writing. :')  
> L x

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed this! And comments and kudos make my day, so please leave some below! :)  
> Please let me know if you'd be interested in another chapter for this!


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